Method and mechanism for treating filaments or fibers



April '17, 1945. I a-F. mgn'zsnv. i 3,

METHOD AND IEC HANISH FOR TREATING FILAIEKTS 0R FIBERS I Filed Feb. 7, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheqt'l Ap l17, 1945. 'B. F. M cREE Y v 2,373,753

METHOD AND MECHANISM FQR TREATING FIL AMENTS OR FIBERS -'li.i1ed Feb. 7, 1942 '4 Sheets-Shet 3 INVENTQR.

WMMOM ATTORNEE April 17; 1945. f r- MmR Y 2,373,768 I METHOD AND MECHANISM FOR TREATING EI AmEnTs on FIBERS Filed Feb. 7, 1942 4 sway-sheet '4 ATTORNEYS JNVENTOR Patented Apr. 17, 1945 PATENT OFFICE m!) AND MECHANISM FOR TREATING FILAMENTS OR FIBERS v Benjamin F.-McCreery, Glens Falls, N. Y Application February 7, 1942, Serial No. 429,906

3 Claims.

My invention relates to a new and improved I method and to a'new and improved mechanism for treating various types of filaments or fibers, such as nylon filament or fiber,'and, more particularly, for treating waste nylon filament or fiber or yam or nylon material in other form. The invention includes the treatment of all stretchable fibers or filaments.

One of the objects of the invention is .to provide a simple and efficient and labor-saving method of stretching nylon filament material and the like, and to minimize the loss of said material.

Another object of the invention isv to provide a method for making a filament or yarn which is sufiiciently soft and non-wiry so that said filament or yarn can be used for making soft woven fabric, and for other purposes.

Other objects of the invention will be set forth in the annexed description and drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment thereof, it'

being understood that the above statement of the objects of my invention is intended generally to explain the same-without limiting it in any manner.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the improved machine, which is used for practicing the improved method. This elevation is taken at the righthand side of Fig. 2.

Fig. -2 is a top plan view of Fig. 1. r

Fig. 3 is another side elevation, taken at the left-hand side of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view. on the line'|-4 of Fi 2.

P 5 is a detail enlarged sectional view, illustrating the pronged or porcupine feed roll which is used in variousparts of the apparatus.

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of one of the teeth which is used on the main drum of theapparatus.

' The designation fnylon isapplied to synthetic fiber-forming polymeric amides,w=hich have 2. protein-like; chemical structure. The method of producing suchfinylonf material is disclosed-in S, Patent No.;2,l3Q,948, and in various other patents. ,jln makinga" nylon filament, the ma- -terl-al'is extruded-and the extruded filament is I iven a fairly, high .twist, which remains in the final filament-which is supplied to the knitting inustrmfllhe nylon yarn which is made with the use of such filament, is stiff and resilient, and .wsuch yarnhasa wirylfeelz -so that such yarn is :not gsuitablelafor imaking a soft-,wbven fabric.

Therefore, the use of nylonf yarn has been con- 45 spective radial wall l4.

' A transverse bar I6 is fixed to each radial wall fined exclusively, or almost exclusively, to the knitting industry. v

In the process of making nylon" yarn by extrusion,.there is a great deal of waste because 5 the extruded filament breaks between the point of extrusion and the point at which the twist is given to the extruded filament. It is a particular object of my invention to treat said waste nylon filament, so that it can be made into a yam which 1 can'be used for making knitted or woven fabrics.

The machine is provided with a frame F, in which a shaft l is tumably mounted. A'drum 2, which has reinforcing ribs 3, is keyed to the shaft I so that the drum 2 and the shaft 1 turn in unison.

which is keyed to the shaft 8. 'As shown particularly in Fig. 2, the shaft 8 is keyed to a grooved pulley 9, which is driven by means of a corresponding and smaller grooved pulley III, which is keyed to, the shaft of an electric motor ,l l. The grooves of the pulleys 9 and III are connected by a series of V-belts l2.

- The outer wall of drum 2 can be made of any suitable rigid material, which is assembled 'with the core of said drum 2. The ribs 3 are integral with the radial arms R of said core, and nonintegral with said outer wall.

Any other suitable type of speed-reducing mechanism can be used for rotating the drum 2 at regulated speed, which'is about 125 revolutions er minute. -Whenever I state any figures by way of specific example, the invention is not limited thereto. As shown particularly in Fig. 4, the outer w of the drum 2 is provided with a series of recesses.

40. Each recess has a radial planar wall I4 and a con-.

vex wall I5; Each convex wall I5 is located between a. pair of successive radial walls l4. Each recess is of varying radial depth, its depth beingthe greatest at its radial base, namely, at its reby means of screws n, or other suitable fasteningmembers, which extend through'h'oles l8 of the respective bars l6. Each bar I6 is provided with a'series of tangential teeth 19. The teeth 19 of each series or set are perpendicular to the respective planar radial wall l4- As shown particularly-in Fig. 6, eachtooth 19 is of rectangular cross section and it has a tapered point. I941. 56 The wide planar faces of each set of teeth I! are This gear 4 meshes with a' I equally and in unison.

parallel to each other. The thickness of each pin |9.is about of an inch and the width of its wide face is about of an inch. The total exposed length of each pin I8 is about 1% inches. The

, spacing between adjacent teeth IQ of each set or series, is about A of an inch. This close spacing is not shown in Fig. 2, because for convenience, the representations. of some of the teeth I! have been omitted in Fig. 2.

Each pin H! has a removable drive fit in its bar I6, so that a tooth l8 can be readily removed and replaced, if it becomes broken or otherwise defective.

As shown particularly in Fig. l, the machine is provided with a table T, on which the nylon waste N is laid by the operator. The nylon waste is fed forwardly off the table T, by a pair of feed rolls 28 and 2|. These feed rolls 2'! and 2| can have cores'of any rigid material, and said cores are provided with resilient outer sleeves S,

which are made of vulcanized rubber or the like.

Said rolls can be made throughout of cast iron or other rigid material, with corrugated peripheries, said corrugations being perpendicular to the parallel axes of said rolls. As shown in Fig. 1, the shaft of the lower feed roll 2| is positively driven by means of a chain 22, which meshes with a sprocket n the shaft of the lower feed roll 2|, and with a corresponding sprocket on the shaft 23 of the lower porcupine feed r011 24. The shafts of the feed rolls 2| and 24, and the other shafts of the machine, with the exception of the shaft of the motor l, are suitably journalled in the frameF.

The shaft 25 of the upper feed roll 20 is provided with the conventional slide block, which can slide up and down in the guide frame 28, which is fixed to or which is integral with'the frame F. The usual compression spring 2'! downwardly urges the slide block of the shaft 25, so that the sleeves S of the feed rolls 20 and 2|, are maintained resiliently in contact, under suitable regulated pressure.

The nylon waste N is thus compressed into the form of a thin web by the feed rolls 28 and 2 and said web is fed forwardly by said feed rolls 28 and 2|, between the bottom porcupine roll 24 and the associated top porcupine roll 28. The web can be stretched to some extent, which is less than the maximum stretching to'which the material is subjected in the machine, anterior the feed rolls 20 and 2|. The materialcan be supplied to the feed rolls 2|) and 2|, by any suitable endless feed belt.

As shown more particularly in Figs. 1 and 4, the upper porcupine roll 28 has a shaft 29. A sprocket is keyed to said shaft 29, and said sprocket is connected to a chain 38 to acompanion sprocket which is keyed to the shaft 3|. A gear 32 is keyed to the shaft 3|, and said gear 32 meshes witha gear 33, which is keyed to the shaft of the drum. As shown more particularly in Fig. 3, a gear 34 is keyed to the shaft 23;and said gear 34. meshes with a gear 35, which is keyed to .the shaft 28 of the lower porcupine feed roll 24.

The porcupine feed rolls 28 and 24 are thus driven As shown more particularly in Figs. 1 and 3, a third porcupine feed roll 881s keyed to a shaft-31.

The shafts "and 28 are provided with respectiverolls have the same effective or pitch diameter. Any number of porcupine feed rolls can be utilized, but the use of three porcupine feed rolls is sufllcient.

The smooth feed rolls 20 and'2l and the porcupine feed rolls 24 and 28 are thus rotated at the same angular speed. However, the effective diameter of each of the porcupine feed rolls 28 and 24 is much greater than the effective diameter of the feed rolls 20 and 2|. Therefore, the material is subjected to stretching by the porcupine feed rolls 28 and 24. This stretch may be any desired percentage of the total or maximum stretch which is imparted to the material by the complete machine. The stretch which is effected by said porcupine feed rolls 28.and 24 may be less than or more than of said total stretch, or 50% of said total stretch.

Some of this total stretch may be produced by the third porcupine feed roll 36. This stretch is produced by the respective porcupine feed rolls, because the pins of such porcupine feed rolls are moved forwardly, at greater linear speed than the regulated forward linear speed of the material. The forward linear speed of the material is regulated by the feed rolls 2'] and 2|. The pins of the porcupine rolls exert frictional forward force upon the material, thus stretching the material.

It is desirable to take out all, or almost all, of the stretch of the nylon waste by the machine, so that the waste which is accumulated in the form of a web on the recessed periphery of the drum 2, has little or no remaining stretch, when said web is removed from said drum 2.

As shown in detail in Fig. 5, each porcupine feed roll is provided with curved teeth 38. The teeth 39 are arranged in pairs, each pair having a common base 40. The bases 40 are embedded in a flexible surface layer 4|, made of leather or vulcanized rubber or the like, and said surface layer 4| is suitably fixed to the core C of the respective procupine feed roll. The diameter of the drum 2 may be from 30-36 inches, and, as previously stated, the invention is not limited to any specific dimensions or other specific figures which are stated herein. The web of stretched material which is delivered to the first set of pins l9, namely, the set which first contacts with the material which is fed forwardly by the porcupine feed rolls 28 and, 24, is gripped between the teeth of said set, and said web is carried around the recessed periphery of the drum 2. The nylon waste is collected in the spaces between the pins |9, and the drum 2 and its pins l8 subject the nylon" material to its final or maximum stretch, so that the web of nylon material which is v finally taken off the drum 2, has little or no redirection parallel to the axis of drum 2, in order sprockets, which are connected by means of a chain 38, thus positively driving the third porcupine feed roll 88. The three porcupine feed rolls 24, 28 and 36 are thus rotated in unison at the same speed, and said three porcupine feed to remove it from the drum 2. The rotation of the drum 2 and the operation of the machine is stopped, in order to remove the web 4.2. These staples are then spun into yarn by conventional 'sprocketwhich is keyed to the shaft I.

' turn the drum. The operator The recessed formation of We of the pins 18 project beyond the respective adjacent portions of the web, to a distance of about /1. of an inch. While the web is thus bein formed upon thedrum 2, and in the final form of said web. the outer'wall of said web 42 has a recessed shape, as indicated in Fig. 4.

The arrangement of the pins which has been described, is useful in preventing premature breakage of said pins, and in providing a proper. 4

shaft-l. Likewise, the shaft 44 has a sprocket.

which is connected by a chain 48 to another The over a series of spaced walls. It will be noted that the material is stretched and accumulated upon the drum 2, without the use of radial pressure.

The invention covers numerous sub-combinations, as well as the complete combination disclosed herein, and it also includes the recessed formation 'of the'drum 2, as a novel part or element.

The convex'wall of each recess is designated as, its peripheral wall. Referring to Fig. 4, the deep end of each recess is designatedas its rear end. Hence, the depth of each recess increases successively from its front end to its rear end and the pins l8 project forwardly. The pins 19 areconnected to their respective'recesses at the respective rearendsof said recesses. Each pin I9 is spaced from its respective peripheral wall l5.

' The front end of each recess is preferably at the brushes B and Ba are therefore positively driven,

in order to brush on any material whichclings to'the pins 39 of the porcupine feed rolls 28 and 38. The brushes B and Ba can be located to brush the points of pins I8, or additional brush means can be provided to cleanse the points of pins I9.

As shown more particularly in Fig. 4,'the teeth 39 are of curved or convexo-concave shape, and

' their concave faces are moved in the same directions as the material whlchis engaged by said teeth. I

Each of the curved teeth 38.may be aligned with a space betwen a pair of teeth is. Each of said teeth is may be aligned with 8. respec-- tive tooth-39. r i

The feed rolls 28 and 2| feed a thin web of the material N forwardly The front end of said web is engaged by the teeth of the lower porcupine roll 24, and said front end is thus fed between the teeth of the superposed porcupine rolls 28 and 24. ,These porcupine rolls feed the front endof, the web into a position in which said front end is engaged by a set of the teeth is,

' which feed the front end of the web in unison with the periphery of the drum 2. A web of increasing thickness is thus built up on the peripheryof the drum 2. respective sets of pins IS. The pins l9 stretch the filaments of the web and also arran e said stretched filaments parallel to each other. When the web on the drum 2 is of thedeslred thickness, 4

the operation of the machine is stopped. The

operatorthen cuts the web along a singletransverse line, and then starts the machine so as to continuesto out web along spaced transversestaples of any desired quilt has been removed the cut the filaments into length until the entire from the drum 2. The drum 2 may be stopped v during each cutting operation.

After the web has been removed, the machine is ready for another run. g

A substantial part of the'web on the drum 2 is located in the spaces between the teeth l9.

Each circumferential, row of the teeth 39-of the rolls 28 and 24 may be circumferentially with a circumferential row of teeth l9, so that each plane which is perpendicular to shaft I, and which has a circumferential row of teeth It, has two circumferential rows of teeth 39 ofrolls 28 and 24, and a, third circumferential row of teeth 39 of the auxiliary porcupine roll 38.

the drum 2 is advantageous, because the filaments are stretched Said web extends across the lines, sov as .to

rear end of the next succeeding recess. Each pin exceeds the feeding speed of the porcupine'rolls 2 8.and 24, to the extent of the feeding action of said porcupine rolls 28 and 24. The speed at which the material is fed forwardly to the drum,

is controlled primar ly, and even wholly, by the feeding rolls 28 and 2|. Whileeach strand is wound substantially in spiral form, each said strand is preferably formed with a series of separated humps at the deep ends of the respective recesses,

The machine stretches the filaments so as to eliminate or minimize knobs or beads on the fila-- merits.

This is highly important, because the staples can be spun into yarn as fine .as No. 90

and even finer, in the silky system. The steady and uniform stretching prevents breakage of the .filaments, so thatthe cut staples areof uniform length, thus greatly lowering the expense of spinning the staples into yarn. Since the staples are of uniform length, theformation of knots in the spinning operation is eliminated, thus greatly lowering the cost of finishing.

Fig.- 4 shows that the web which is spirally wound on the drum, has ten web-sections. If the drum 2 were of polygonal shape, having ten equal [peripheral walls, the change in angle between ali adjacent sections would be only 36. However, by

forming and maintaining each web-section so that it is thicker at its rear end than at its front end, the angle at the junction between adjacent web-sections, is about which is greater than the quotient which is obtained by dividing 360 by the number of web-sections. These sharp changes in angle assist in stretching the filaments on the drum, so as to leave little or no residual stretch in said filaments, in the ,final web. 1

I'claim:

1. In combination, a rotatabledrum having circumferential rows of pins-each circumferen-' tial row being spaced from the adjacent circumferential row'in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of said drum, movable feeding means adapted to feed material into the spaces between the drum2'in Fig. 415' said circumferential rows of pins, mechanism adapted to rotate said drum at a peripheral located during said winding of said web, eachsaid recess having a front 'end and a rear end, the depth of each'recess increasingly progressively from its front end to its rear end, the rear end of each recess being located at the front end of the next adjacent recess to provide a sharp change in contour at the junction between the rear end of each recess and the front end of the next adjacent recess, each said rear end having forwardly projecting pins which engage and hold the respective part of the web against said rear end to provide a sharp change in angle in said web at each said junction; saidpins being of sufiicient length to hold the web against said periphery forwardly of the tips of said pins and to maintain the part of the web which is directly engaged by said pins in thicker formation than forwardly of said pins in the respective recess.

3. A method of forming a web of material which consists of separate filaments, on the periphery of a rotatable drum, which consists in feeding said material to said periphery while maintaining said material under tension anterior said drum, continuously subjectingsaicl filaments to tension while spirally winding said web in a series oflayers around the periphery of said drum, locating said web on said periphery in the form of a series of consecutive sections during said winding operation, each section being maintained in a layer of greater thickness at its rear end than at its front end during said winding operation, the angle between the adjacent ends of consecutive sections being maintained in exby the number of said sections.

BENJAMIN F. McCREERLY. 

